4x4 Expedition Leader (guide included)

All our vehicules are 4 wheel drive, new models and specialy equipped for the expeditions. Confortable units with Air conditioner and heating. Enough place for luggage, hand luggage and photogragh equipment. For box lunch, cold and warm beverages. GPS: Global positional system (give you satelite information about latituted, altitude, distances and maps). Satelite phone.

We also include: special updated route maps, flora and fauna booklets. Vinoculars. Extra gas oil tanks and 2 extra wheels.

4x4 Car Rental

If you enjoy self driving in Patagonia, it is possible to rent a 4 wheel drive special equipped for the expeditions.

Please feel free to contact us, we will made reservations of the car you choose and we'll be waiting for you at the airport ready to go. At your destination you will be informed about route conditions, service station locations. General, city and town maps will be available.

You can start and/or finish your itinerary in the following cities in Patagonia: Bariloche, Esquel, Trelew, Comodoro Rivadavia, El Calafate or Rio Gallegos.

Models:

Toyota Hilux (diesel, 4 passengers)

Nissan XTerra (diesel, full, 4 passengers)

If you plan to drive

You will be driving on paved or gravel roads in practically uninhabited areas. The absence of the stress imposed by city transit and the beauty of the places along the way will create an atmosphere conducive to traveling long distances with a reasonable effort.

When you plan the stages of your trip, remember that with the exception of the paved stretches, your average speed should not exceed 60 km/hr, and 40 km/hr on corniche roads with hairpin curves.

Whether you are driving a town car or a 4WD, certain basic safety rules must be followed.

Watch your speed. Most accidents on roads with little traffic are the result of underestimating the difficulties involved. Slow down before reaching a point in the road that is hidden from view by the terrain or some other element. On gravel, don't trust stretches that look good; drive on a minimum-adherence surface. On asphalt, watch out for raised culverts and shoulder drains. Pay attention to the wind.

Drive defensively. Somebody who thinks he has the road all to himself can suddenly pop up in that place you can't see completely. Stay on your side of the road whenever the visibility is poor for one reason or another.

On gravel, slow down to a crawl when passing a vehicle coming from the opposite direction. This will help you keep control of your vehicle and greatly lower the risk of breakage of your windshield and other windows by flying rock fragments.

If you have to overtake a slow vehicle, keep as far away from it as possible. Let the driver know you're there. Try not to kick up dust and rocks.

On backroads, don't leave the one you're on. Follow the dirt roads that look like they've been driven most recently. Some places can fool you, and not be as firm as they look.

In summer it rains very little. But if you find yourself on a wet road, keep to the high part in the middle, which is more compacted by the traffic. Clay is very slippery; try to keep off the shoulders, which are very soft. On dirt roads stay in the ruts if the suspension is high enough to allow this. And if you get stuck, don't force the motor; passing motorists will give you whatever help they can.

If your driving day includes a particularly isolated stretch of road, take along sleeping bags just in case. A burner, some water and food on board can turn out to be very useful it you have to spend a night out somewhere.

If you have to ford a stream, case it out first on foot. Take care: a swift current that reaches above mid-thigh is dangerous, and the water is always very cold. If you decide to use your winch, keep away from the steel cable.

Check the fuel and tires before leaving populated areas, and top off the tank whenever possible.

Remember to close cattle guard gates, and don't drive over fields unnecessarily. Help keep roads and paths clean by taking your wastes to the next ranch or town for disposal.

In southern Patagonia people are valuable and few. Be courteous on the road. If you see someone asking for help - which can turn out to only be a request that you take someone a message - stop.

What to take

A good road map.

Two spare tires, or at least extra inner tubes and tools if you're up to taking the tires apart.

A good flashlight and batteries.

Optional: a few simple tools, baling wire, 20 meters of 15-mm nylon rope, a collapsible shovel, a tire pump or small air compressor.

We do not advise taking along extra fuel in cans; it is unnecessary and risky.

More Info:

Travel itineraries

La legendaria “Ruta 40” en Estancias

Un viaje por la ruta nacional 40, la carretera mas larga y espectacular de Argentina. Descubriendo una de las regiones mas deshabitadas del mundo, desde el mar hasta la Cordillera de los Andes a través de la interminable Estepa Patagónica. Para percibir la real esencia de la Patagonia los alojamiento son Estancias de Campo conociendo a los Estancieros y a los solitarios Gauchos, compartiremos sus historias y costumbres.

Ver itinerario ruta 40

Estancias Argentinas

Circuito por los tres lagos continentales más australes de la Patagonia Argentina: el Lago Argentino, con alojamiento en la estancia Nibepo Aike, ubicada dentro del Parque nacional Los Glaciares; el Lago Viedma, con alojamiento en la hostería El Pilar, atendida por experimentados guías de montaña, que los guiaran por los senderos que pasan al pie del majestuoso Fitz Roy; y el Lago San Martín, de profundo azul turquesa, con asentamiento en Estancia La Maipú, desde donde se pueden realizar caminatas o cabalgatas avistando cóndores a través de hermosos paisajes cordilleranos.

Ver extensión Estancias Argentinas (circuito 3 lagos)

Lodging:

Hosteria El Pilar (El Chalten)

Along the road between El Chaltén and Lake Desierto, bordering on Los Glaciares National Park in the Argentine province of Santa Cruz, is the El Pilar Inn, a cozy recreation of the old houses with which Patagonian ranches are identified in most people's minds.

Guests are attended personally by the owners (a couple of mountain climbers), who fell in love with the place and built this pleasant, comfortable inn.

Ideal for those who dream of a cozy place with a view of Mount Fitz Roy and its splendid chain of towers, El Pilar offers its guests a splendid view of the Fitz Roy massif, home-made meals, and all the magic of Patagonian forests and rivers dominated by the presence of this mountain.

Lagos del Furioso (Lago Posadas)

The inn occupies a wooded isthmus that separates two lakes of different colors in the Argentine province of Santa Cruz. There beneath the trees, cozy cabins, tasty homemade meals served in the dining room, the sauna and other amenities await guests at the end of the day's discoveries and adventures in the vast San Lorenzo region.

The light, the colors, the chronicles of the land engraved in stone, history and the positive atmosphere of the place will also be memorable.

Estancia La Anostura

This simple, genuine Patagonian ranch is strategically located for people who are driving National Route 40 in the Argentine province of Santa Cruz..

The ranch has been in the family since 1878. The owners' personal attention to guests, their home-cooked meals and the stories they have to tell give color to this typical hostelry, an ideal place to rest after a long, extenuating trip.

There is easy access to places with flora and fauna that are unique in the area.

Estancia Telken (Los Antiguos)

This old Patagonian ranch, started up in 1915, raises sheep and horses off National Route 40 in the northwestern corner of the Argentine province of Santa Cruz.

Tourists receive a warm welcome in the cozy main house surrounded by a pleasant garden and windbreak grove. The owners' personal attention, the home-cooked meals shared at the family table and Patagonian hospitality make visitors feel like old friends.

The owners, descendants of New Zealanders, have made this place a classical stop-off for tourists coming from the far south, and those on their way south.

Estancia Nibepo Aike (Calafate)

This typical Santa Cruz ranch, established at the beginning of the 20th century, is located on the southern bank of Lake Argentino in Los Glaciares National Park

Its main business is cattle raising, followed by sheep farming. Its dining room serves traditional meat and vegetable dishes made mostly from home produce.

There is a Patagonian barbecue shed. Rooms have private bath and heating. Activities include horseback rides, hiking and excursions to the Perito Moreno glacier.

Hosteria Antigua Patagonia

Antigua Patagonia es una hostería situada a orillas del majestuoso Lago Buenos Aires -2400 km2-, en la localidad de Los Antiguos, al noreste de la Provincia de Santa Cruz. Cuenta con el imponente marco de la Cordillera de Los Andes y ofrece el escenario ideal para disfrutar una especial estadía patagónica.

La Maipu

This ranch lies right up against the Andes facing the turquoise waters of Lake San Martín 280 km from El Calafate and the Perito Moreno glacier in the Argentine province of Santa Cruz.

On the ranch, which has belonged to the Leyenda family for more than half a century, guests can hike in beech forests, go on horseback rides, watch birds (especially condors), take part in ranch work and visit a museum dedicated to the Patagonian pioneers.